The present disclosure relates to electrode inspection apparatuses for spot used in, for example, automobile production lines.
Conventionally, electrode inspection apparatuses for spot welding are used to properly manage electrodes mounted on the tips of guns for spot welding in automobile production lines. For example, International Patent Publication No. WO 2011/052308 (paragraphs [0070]-[0079] and FIGS. 15-18) shows an electrode inspection apparatus including measuring reference plates, each of which has an electrode fixing hole for inserting and fixing the tip of the electrode, and a camera module. The camera module includes a mirror reflecting the tip surface of the electrode, first and second frames located at the both sides of the mirror, a camera located at each side of the mirror between the first and second frames, and a camera holder having a housing recess for housing the camera. The camera module is assembled by placing the first and second frames at the both sides of the camera holder, with the opening of the housing recess facing outward. With each measuring reference plate attached to the camera module such that the electrode fixing hole corresponds to the mirror, the tip of the electrode is inserted into and fixed to the electrode fixing hole. The camera captures the tip surface of the electrode via the mirror to determine whether or not the tip surface of the electrode is usable.